On Fridays I post FFF to intentionally recall blessings of the previous week. Suzanne sponsors this exercise at Living to Tell the Story and invites you to participate too! (Yes, I’m late again and posting on Saturday!)

1.Green beans I love green beans! My little raised-bed garden has produced a bumper crop of tasty green beans this month. Last night we enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner with garden-fresh green beans. Family and extended family joined us for an evening of food, fellowship, and games. Good memories!!

2.Kids Camping A co-worker of our son and his family flew in this week to go camping with some of my family in the Canadian Rockies. They had good weather and an enjoyable time of camping, hiking, and visiting special sites my children remember from their youth. Paul brought back some wonderful pictures so that even though I could not go with them, I was able to enjoy some of their experiences through photos.

3.Visits I’m still not getting out and about much since my surgery and hopefully will get the green light to move around more at my next check-up in mid-August. This week several young friends brought their little ones by for a visit with Purple Grandma, which was a blessing to me.

4.Improving mobility I am grateful that physio continues to go well and that I am feeling stronger overall. My mobility restrictions remain in place but I am getting better and more comfortable about moving from place to place in the house.

5.Peach tea I enjoy almost anything peach. Peach tea is a favorite beverage and I have collected peach green, peach rooibos, peach black, peach fruit, and peach herbal teas. I can’t drink black tea very often, but had some delicious peach black tea this week and really enjoyed it.

Family time We celebrated daughter # 3’s birthday this week. As we were gathered around the table the topic drifted to hair.

“Do you remember when we were kids and I thought since mom’s razor was just for legs that nothing would happen when I ran it down my arm hair from shoulder to wrist?” “My arm itched like crazy the next day!”

“Yeah, and I wondered what would happen when I swiped it across my forehead and was shocked when I looked in the mirror and saw I was missing an eyebrow, and then tried to arrange my bangs so no one would notice.”

And the time when as a three-year-old, the birthday girl “borrowed” mom’s scissors, opened them widely and, placing the blades flat on her forehead right at her hairline, cut a perfect V in her bangs all the way to the scalp.

When “someone” turned on the gas grill on without opening the lid, waited a few minutes, then opened it and threw in a match. After the “whoosh,” her once straight hair was singed and curly.

Ah, memories! We laughed so hard tears were streaming down our faces.

A new RN Daughter #4 passed her NCLEX nursing exam and is now officially an RN. My father-in-law was a physician and my mother-in-law a nurse and perhaps hoped that some of their children or grandchildren would follow the medical route, but until now, none did. We have plenty of doctors in the family, but none of the medical variety. And now we have a nurse!

Remembrance Day Today is Remembrance Day in Canada (Veterans Day in the US.) When we first moved to Canada almost 30 years ago I remember being impressed at how seriously Canadians commemorate Remembrance Day. Red paper poppies are purchased to help support our war veterans and worn in the lapels of young and old. Schools hold assemblies to educate and solemnly recall the sacrifices others have made. Urban, suburban, exurban, and rural communities all suspend normal activities at 11 a.m. on November 11th to reflect, remember and give thanks. Wreaths are laid at cenotaphs throughout the land and those who fought for the freedoms and rights of our country are honored. The poem, “In Flanders Fields” is quoted and the phrase “Lest we forget” is repeated and tweeted throughout the day. (“Lest we forget” is quoted from an 1897 poem, “Recessional” by Rudyard Kipling and was likely inspired by the passages in Deuteronomy 4 and 6.)

Thank you to all who have served. Lest we forget. Lest we forget.

African violets My mom was a gardener par excellence. She loved growing flowers, but especially enjoyed nurturing and growing African violets. We had a small kitchen and no dining room so the table was pushed up against the exterior wall of the kitchen under a very large picture window. My dad built three or four shelves across that north-facing window and there mom tended her many African violet plants.

Until very recently I have been known as the botanical equivalent of the Angel of Death. I love flowers, but my heart would sink when anyone gave me a living plant. I knew they had just passed the death sentence on that lovely bit of nature. My family all joked about it. My husband would shake his head and ask, “How long do you think this one will last?”

But when we moved from Calgary to Edmonton seven years ago something changed. Some might even call it a miracle of sorts; I no longer automatically made plants die! First, my husband built me raised planters and encouraged me to start an herb garden as part of my post-surgical therapy. I was extremely skeptical, but to my absolute shock, not only did my plants survive, they thrived.

Indoor plants were still iffy. But somehow, over these past few years, I have two African violet plants that have done very well. I watched them grow and prosper and I remembered Mom. I remembered Mom transplanting hers when they outgrew the pot. I remember her trimming off the flowers when they wilted, and pinching off broken or damaged leaves. I remember her fertilizing the plants, gently brushing the dust off the leaves, and carefully avoiding getting the leaves wet when she watered her violets. I even remember her talking to her plants, and boy, did we ever tease her about that!

My African violets are outgrowing their latest pots and need something now, and I’m not certain what. Sure, I can google it or call a garden center or ask around, but I really, really, wish I could ask my mom. Not only would she have told me the right thing to do for my plants, she would have been proud and probably amazed that I haven’t killed these violets, and may even be developing a green thumb!

Cards and Photos Here are some more cards I made this week when I had to lay low and be quiet. The photos are from various photography opportunities over the past month.

1. Lots of travel! We have been traveling a great deal during July and August. Some of this has been in the States to visit churches that have partnered with us in ministry for almost thirty years. It was a great blessing to spend time with people from each congregation.

2. Surrogate grandma One of the benefits of being ‘of a certain age’ is that you can act as a surrogate grandmother to kids whose biological grandparents live far away. When we told God we would serve Him wherever He wanted us, it ended up being far from either of our families. Many people became aunties, uncles, and grandparents to our kids in their growing up days. In July I got to be Grandma to Madison and her brothers. Loved every minute of it!

3. A dying wish granted Our schedule has been so intense and busy we talked about moving our Calgary meeting from July to September, but we felt compelled to keep the July date. Just before we left to drive down, we learned a former church member was in hospice and would soon be with the Lord. He very much wanted to see my husband so that their relationship would be in perfect harmony before this dear brother went to be with the Lord. Many hugs were shared and many tears shed at that short but powerful meeting. Three days later this brother went to be with the Lord. God is sovereign and granted the dying wish of one of His own. We are humbled and blessed by His leading!

4. Goodbye old tree We had to take down a big, old tree from the back yard because it was diseased. *sniff* I love those old trees, the shade they provide, and the bit of privacy they offer. Now most of the back yard is open and sunny and…..as my husband reminds me, we have new possibilities for the space. Guess it does all depend on how you look at things!

5. Children and grandchildren Our own grandchildren (along with my son and his wife!) arrived for their annual visit from their home in Shanghai, China. What wonderful times we have been experiencing together! We try to make it to the Canadian Rockies during their visits. Though this summer smoke from forest fires has cast a hazy fog over the beautiful scenery, we have thoroughly enjoyed visiting familiar and favorite venues and introducing these places to our grandchildren.

1. To the mountains! Last Friday we headed off to the Canadian Rockies for a three-day family holiday. We left the Edmonton area with winter temperatures hovering around -18C (0F) and arrived in the Banff area five hours later to unusually warm temps near plus 10C (50F). Banff is usually cold and snowy in February so this was a wonderful unexpected break from the weather as well as a break from routine.

2. High tea While in Banff we enjoyed high tea at the Banff Springs Hotel. This was the inaugural foray into the high tea experience for my husband, and he thoroughly enjoyed it and wants to go with us again for high tea in the future.

3. Reminiscing Our family lived in Calgary for over 20 years during the growing up years of our five children. We tried to drive up to the mountains several times a year to enjoy hiking, camping, or a short holiday from our many ministerial responsibilities. As our children have gone off to college and ended up in various locations throughout the world for work and education, they always love to visit the mountains when returning to Alberta. It was fun to watch our four daughters reminisce and revisit places that inspired them during those formative years.

4. Beginning to understand Do you ever wonder why God allows certain hard things in your life? I do. These past couple of weeks I have been able to weep with several ladies who lost pregnancies. If I had not experienced two miscarriages in my childbearing years I would have been less equipped to offer help, empathy, and encouragement to these ladies. God sees the whole picture and works all things for our good and His glory. I’m so glad He is trustworthy, even when I do not understand.

5. Murder mystery My artsy daughters are hosting a murder mystery event tonight. I enjoy a good mystery, am fond of games, and appreciate that there will be gluten free options for me to nibble on throughout the evening. But I especially appreciate that my girls have chosen to invite friends and family, married and single, to celebrate a holiday that can be a lonely time for singles. Genuine love isn’t just about couples. I look forward to spending time brothers and sisters in Christ tonight.